Packaging Films

ABSTRACT

Films and packaging materials including biodegradable and edible components and pods created using these materials are described herein.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional No. 62/661,845filed Apr. 24, 2018, entitled “Beverage Mix Pods and Process for MakingSame,” and U.S. Provisional No. 62/749,412 filed Oct. 23, 2018, entitled“Packaging Films” each of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entireties.

GOVERNMENT INTERESTS

Not applicable

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable

INCORPORATION OF MATERIAL ON COMPACT DISC

Not applicable

BACKGROUND

Not applicable

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments are directed to compositions including abiodegradable polymer and polyhydric alcohol, polyhydric acid, orcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, the ratio of biodegradablepolymer to polyhydric alcohol, polyhydric acid, or combinations thereofmay be about 0.5:1 to about 1:10. In certain embodiments, thecomposition may include about 20 wt. % to about 60 wt. % alginate oralginate salt and about 8 wt. % to about 25 wt. % glycerol.

In some embodiments, the composition may include about 20 wt. % to about50 wt. % biodegradable polymer, and in various embodiments, thebiodegradable polymer may be any of polylactic acid (polylactide),chitin, chitosan, alginic acid, alginate salt, such as, sodium alginate,calcium alginate, magnesium alginate, triethanolamine alginate,potassium alginate, strontium alginate, barium alginate, or ammoniumalginate, propylene glycol alginate, lignin, thermoplastic starch,polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene glycol, polyglycolide, poly(lactide-co-glycolide), polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, poly(8-caprolactone), polyorthoester, polyanhydride, polylysine,polyethyleneimine, carboxymethylcellulose, acetylatedcarboxymethylcellulose, gelatin, collagen, pullulan, cold-solublegelatin, pectin, locust gum derivatives, hydrocolloids, kappacarrageenan, lambda carrageenan, iota carrageenan, and derivatives,combinations, and copolymers thereof. In particular embodiments, thebiodegradable polymer may be alginate or alginate salt or combinationsof alginate and alginate salts, and in certain embodiments, thebiodegradable polymer may be sodium alginate, calcium alginate,magnesium alginate, potassium alginate, or combinations or mixturesthereof.

In some embodiments, the composition may include about 5 wt. % to about40 wt. % polyhydric alcohol, and in various embodiments, the polyhydricalcohol may be glycerol, sorbitol, mannitol, galactitol, arabitol,erythritol, xylitol, and combinations or mixtures thereof. In certainembodiments, the polyhydric alcohol may be any combination of glycerol,xylitol, or erythritol.

In some embodiments, the composition may include about 4 wt. % to about10 wt. % emulsifier, surfactant, or combination thereof, and in variousembodiments, the emulsifier or surfactant is selected from the groupconsisting of lecithin, sunflower lecithin, soy lecithin,monoglycerides, diglycerides, gums, guar gum, Arabic gum, locust beangum, polysorbates, polysorbate-80, sucrose esters, and combinationsthereof.

In some embodiments, the composition may include about 5 wt. % to about20 wt. % chelating agent, builder, or combination thereof, and invarious embodiments, the chelating agents and builders may be sodiumcitrate, monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, sodiumtriphosphate (STPP), sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium phosphate,disodium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the composition may include about 4 wt. % to about10 wt. % hydrotrope, and in various embodiments, the hydrotrope may beamino acids, proline, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine,methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, nucleic acids,adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the composition may include about 15 wt. % to about45 wt. % bulking agent, and in various embodiments, the bulking agentmay be maltodextrin, tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch,cellulose, pectins, glucans, mucilages, inulin, chitin, and combinationsthereof.

Additional embodiments are directed to a film containing a biodegradablepolymer and polyhydric alcohol, polyhydric acid, or combinationsthereof. In some embodiments, the ratio of biodegradable polymer topolyhydric alcohol, polyhydric acid, or combinations thereof may beabout 0.5:1 to about 1:10. In certain embodiments, the composition mayinclude about 20 wt. % to about 60 wt. % alginate or alginate salt andabout 8 wt. % to about 25 wt. % glycerol. In further embodiments, thefilm may include any of the components described in relation to thecompositions above.

Further embodiments are directed to devices including a film containinga biodegradable polymer and polyhydric alcohol, polyhydric acid, orcombinations thereof; and a foodstuff sealed within the film. In someembodiments, the foodstuff may be beverages, nutritional supplements,desserts, powdered food mixtures, and combinations thereof, and in someembodiments, the foodstuff may be a powdered nutritional formulation,powdered protein supplement, powdered milk, powdered baby food, powderedinfant formula, and combinations thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Not applicable

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various aspects now will be described more fully hereinafter. Suchaspects may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should notbe construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thoroughand complete, and will fully convey its scope to those skilled in theart.

Where a range of values is provided, it is intended that eachintervening value between the upper and lower limit of that range andany other stated or intervening value in that stated range isencompassed within the disclosure. For example, if a range of 1 ml to 8ml is stated, 2 ml, 3 ml, 4 ml, 5 ml, 6 ml, and 7 ml are also intendedto be explicitly disclosed, as well as the range of values greater thanor equal to 1 ml and the range of values less than or equal to 8 ml.

All percentages, parts and ratios are based upon the total, dry weightof the topical compositions and all measurements made are at about 25°C., unless otherwise specified.

The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference toa “polymer” includes a single polymer as well as two or more of the sameor different polymers; reference to an “excipient” includes a singleexcipient as well as two or more of the same or different excipients,and the like.

The word “about” when immediately preceding a numerical value means arange of plus or minus 10% of that value, e.g., “about 50” means 45 to55, “about 25,000” means 22,500 to 27,500, etc., unless the context ofthe disclosure indicates otherwise, or is inconsistent with such aninterpretation. For example, in a list of numerical values such as“about 49, about 50, about 55, “about 50” means a range extending toless than half the interval(s) between the preceding and subsequentvalues, e.g., more than 49.5 to less than 52.5. Furthermore, the phrases“less than about” a value or “greater than about” a value should beunderstood in view of the definition of the term “about” providedherein.

By hereby reserving the right to proviso out or exclude any individualmembers of any such group, including any sub-ranges or combinations ofsub-ranges within the group, that can be claimed according to a range orin any similar manner, less than the full measure of this disclosure canbe claimed for any reason. Further, by hereby reserving the right toproviso out or exclude any individual substituents, analogs, compounds,ligands, structures, or groups thereof, or any members of a claimedgroup, less than the full measure of this disclosure can be claimed forany reason. Throughout this disclosure, various patents, patentapplications and publications are referenced. The disclosures of thesepatents, patent applications and publications in their entireties areincorporated into this disclosure by reference in order to more fullydescribe the state of the art as known to those skilled therein as ofthe date of this disclosure. This disclosure will govern in the instancethat there is any inconsistency between the patents, patent applicationsand publications cited and this disclosure.

For convenience, certain terms employed in the specification, examplesand claims are collected here. Unless defined otherwise, all technicaland scientific terms used in this disclosure have the same meanings ascommonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which thisdisclosure belongs.

Various embodiments of the invention are directed to compositions andfilms composed of biodegradable compounds, articles including thecompositions and films of embodiments and foodstuffs, methods for makingsuch compositions and films, and methods for using the compositions andfilms for packaging foodstuffs.

The compositions and films of embodiments may be primarily composed of abiodegradable polymers and polyhydric alcohol, polyhydric acid, orcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, the compositions and filmsmay be substantially all biodegradable polymer and polyhydric alcoholwith other components that do not substantially add to the mechanicalproperties, for example, tensile strength, elongation, elasticity, andthe like, but may add to the physical properties of the film, forexample, permeability, solubility, hydrophobicity, and the like. Thecompositions and films may include any concentration of biodegradablepolymer necessary to produce a composition or film having sufficientmechanical properties for its intended use. For example, in someembodiments, compositions and films may include up to 99 wt. %biodegradable, about 50 wt. % to about 99 wt. % biodegradable polymer,about 60 wt. % to about 95 wt. % biodegradable polymer, about 70 wt. %to about 90 wt. % biodegradable polymer, about 75 wt. % to about 85 wt.% biodegradable polymer or any individual concentration or rangeencompassed by these example ranges.

The compositions and films of such embodiments may include 25 wt. % orless polyhydric alcohol, about 5 wt. % to about 30 wt. % polyhydricalcohol, about 8 wt. % to about 25 wt. % polyhydric alcohol, polyhydricacid, or combinations thereof, about 10 wt. % to about 20 wt. %polyhydric alcohol, polyhydric acid, or combinations thereof, or anyindividual concentration or range encompassed by these example ranges.In certain embodiments, the compositions and films may include about 20wt. % to about 50 wt. % biodegradable polymer and about 22 wt. % toabout 40 wt. % polyhydric alcohol, polyhydric acid, or combinationsthereof.

The biodegradable polymers of such embodiments include, but are notlimited to, polylactic acid (polylactide), chitin, chitosan, alginicacid, alginate salts, such as, sodium alginate, calcium alginate,magnesium alginate, triethanolamine alginate, potassium alginate,strontium alginate, barium alginate, or ammonium alginate, propyleneglycol alginate, lignin, thermoplastic starch, polyethylene,polypropylene, polyethylene glycol, polyglycolide, poly(lactide-co-glycolide), polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, poly(8-caprolactone), polyorthoester, polyanhydride, polylysine,polyethyleneimine, carboxymethylcellulose, acetylatedcarboxymethylcellulose, gelatin, collagen, pullulan, cold-solublegelatin, pectin, locust gum derivatives, hydrocolloids, kappacarrageenan, lambda carrageenan, or iota carrageenan, and derivatives,combinations, and copolymers thereof. In some embodiments, thebiodegradable polymer may be a natural substance, and in certainembodiments, the biodegradable polymer may be a food grade substance. Inparticular embodiments, the biodegradable polymer may be alginate oralginate salt or combinations of alginate and alginate salts, and insome embodiments, the biodegradable polymer may be sodium alginate,calcium alginate, magnesium alginate, potassium alginate, orcombinations or mixtures thereof.

The polyhydric alcohol of such embodiments include, but are not limitedto, glycerol, sorbitol, mannitol, galactitol, arabitol, erythritol,xylitol, and combinations or mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, thepolyhydric alcohol may be a natural substance, and in certainembodiments, the polyhydric alcohol may be a food grade substance. Inparticular embodiments, the polyhydric alcohol may be glycerol.Polyhydric acids include, for example, alpha and beta hydroxy acids,lactic acid, such as sodium lactate, glycolic acid, citric acid,glyceric acid, and the like and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the ratio of polyhydric alcohol to biodegradablepolymer may be about 0.5:1 to about 1:10, about 0.5:1 to about 1:7.5about 0.5:1 to about 1:5, about 1:1 to about 1:10, about 1:1 to about1:7.5, about 1:1 to about 1:5, and any ratio or range encompassed bythese example ranges. In particular embodiments, the composition or filmmay include about 20 wt. % to about 60 wt. % alginate or alginate saltand about 8 wt. % to about 25 wt. % glycerol.

The compositions or films of various embodiments may include variousadditional components, and in some such embodiments, these additionalcomponents may not substantially add to the mechanical properties of thecompositions or films. For example, the films of some embodiments havesufficient tensile strength and elongation that reinforcing fibers arenot necessary to hold another substance such as a liquid or powder in areceptacle or pod composed of the film. The additional components may,however, modify the solubility, hydrophobicity, permeability, and thelike of the film, improving its stability.

For example, in some embodiments, the compositions or film may include abulking agent. The type of bulking agent is not limited and may include,for example, maltodextrin, tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch,cellulose, pectins, glucans, mucilages, inulin, and chitin. In someembodiments, the bulking agent is tapioca starch and in certainembodiments, the bulking agent may be maltodextrin or combinationsthereof.

The amount of bulking agent in the compositions and films may vary amongembodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the amount of bulkingagent may be up to 40 wt. % of the total composition or film, and inother embodiments, the amount of bulking agent may be from about 15 wt.% to about 45 wt. %, about 15 wt. % to about 40 wt. %, about 20 wt. % toabout 35 wt. %, or any individual concentration or range encompassed bythese example ranges.

The bulking agent may improve the volume of the compositions and filmsof embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the compositions andfilms of the invention can be used as a dissolvable packaging material.However, in order to make a dissolvable packaging of sufficient size tobe useful an excess of biodegradable polymer would need to be used. As aresult, of excess biodegradable polymer, packaging becomes slowerdissolving, which will be undesirable to the consumer. To avoid slowdissolution and provide a large enough size of packaging, a bulkingagent can be added to increase the amount of packaging withoutcontributing to the strength of the material. In the presence of bulkingagents, a larger amount of packaging can be produced while maintainingappropriate dissolving characteristics.

In some embodiments, the composition or film may include a chelatingagent. The type of chelating is not limited and may include, forexample, citric acid, citric acid salts such as sodium citrate,monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, potassiumcitrate, citric acid esters such as triethyl citrate, disuccinic acid,gluconic acid, sodium gluconate, glucaric acid, sodium glucarate,tartaric acid, sodium tartrate, potassium tartrate, potassium sodiumtartrate, sodium triphosphate (STPP), sodium hexametaphosphate, sodiumphosphate, disodium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, organicphosphonates, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), proteins with highconcentrations of aspartic and glutamic acid, polyaspartic acid,polyglutamic acid, hydrolyzed soy protein, phytic acid, sodium phayates,ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA),ethylenediamine-N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) (EDDHA),diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA), glucoheptonate, polyamines, suchas polyamidoamine, polyethyleneamine, polyethyleneimine,polyethylenimine monoethanol ethylenediamine triacetic acid, diethanolethylenediamine diacetic acid, diethylenatriamine pentacetic acid,monoethanol diethylenetriamine tetraacetic, N-hydroxyethyldiethylenetriamine tetraacetic, N′-hydroxyethyl diethylenetriaminetetraacetic, diethanol diethylenetriamine triacetic acid,N,N′-dihydroxyethyl diethylenetriamine triacetic acid,N′,N″-dihydroxethyl diethylenetriamine triacetic acid, and compoundsbased upon propylene, isopropylene, methylethylene, cyclohexylene, andthe like, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the chelatingagent is sodium triphosphate or other salts of phosphate, diphosphates,and triphosphates, and in certain embodiments, the chelating agent maybe citric acid, citric acid salts, citric acid esters, or combinationsthereof.

The amount of chelating agent in the compositions and films may varyamong embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the amount ofchelating agent may be up to 25 wt. % of the total composition or film,and in other embodiments, the amount of chelating agent may be fromabout 5 wt. % to about 30 wt. %, about 10 wt. % to about 25 wt. %, about15 wt. % to about 22 wt. %, or any individual concentration or rangeencompassed by these example ranges.

The chelating agent may improve the solubility of the compositions andfilms of embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the compositionsand films of the invention can be used as a dissolvable packagingmaterial. However, dissolvable packaging materials can leave remnants indissolution solutions. These pieces of material are not desirablefunctionally or aesthetically by consumers. The amount of intakepackaging can be directly correlated with the amount of ions insolutions because these ions can cause the packaging material tocrosslink, rendering it insoluble. These undesirable ions can come fromthe packaged product itself or be present in the solution. For example,drinking water often contains calcium ions that can cause crosslinkingof alginate and carrageenan films. To avoid crosslinking, chelatingagents can be added to the solution to ensure all the packaging polymersin solutions exist in their soluble forms. In the presence of chelatingagents dissolvable packaging may dissolve faster and to a greater extentthan dissolvable packaging that does not include chelating agents.

In particular embodiments a composition or film may include about 75 wt.% to about 85 wt. % alginate or alginate salt and about 15 wt. % toabout 25 wt. % glycerol may include about 10 wt. % citric acid salt suchas sodium citrate. The reaction of alginate or alginate salts with asource of calcium ions forms calcium alginate. The sodium citrate mayprovide sodium ions to the solution to increase the concentration ofsodium alginate (the soluble form), and the citrate ions mayconjugate/chelate the calcium ions to pull them away from the alginatepolymers. As a result, the packaging dissolves faster and to a greaterextent.

In some embodiments, the chelating agent can be included in thecomposition or film itself. For example, the chelating agent may bindto, intercalate with, or integrate into the biodegradable polymer andpolyhydric alcohol forming a continuous film or composition. Withoutwishing to be bound by theory, incorporation into the packaging itselfhas the advantage of maximizing the local concentration of thebeneficial ions in solution. In other embodiments, the chelating agentmay be held within packaging composed of the biodegradable polymer andpolyhydric alcohol film or composition. For example, a serving of sodiumcitrate can be held within the packaging and then release once thepackaging begins to breakdown in water.

In still other embodiments a chelating agent may be produced in situ byproviding components of a chelating agents that react when the packagingis exposed to water. For example, sodium citrate can be produced by thereaction of sodium bicarbonate with citric acid. Thus, the biodegradablepolymer and polyhydric alcohol film or composition may contain sodiumbicarbonate and citric acid either intrinsically or within thepackaging. The reaction of sodium bicarbonate with citric acid alsoproduces carbon dioxide. When placed in solution, the citric acid willreact with the sodium bicarbonate to produce carbon dioxide and sodiumcitrate. Sodium citrate can aid the dissolution of the film, and carbondioxide gas will produce bubbles within the packaging, speeding thebreakdown of the packaging and/or providing an effervescent solution.

In some embodiments, the compositions and films of the invention mayfurther include emulsifiers, surfactants, hydrotropes, and the like andcombinations thereof. Examples of emulsifiers and surfactants mayinclude, without limitation, lecithin such as sunflower lecithin, soylecithin, monoglycerides and diglycerides, gums such as guar gum, Arabicgum, locust bean gum, polysorbates such as polysorbate-80, sucroseesters, and the like and combinations thereof. Examples of hydrotropesinclude, without limitation, amino acids such as proline, histidine,isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine,tryptophan, valine, and the like and combinations thereof, and nucleicacids such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the like. Theconcentration of emulsifier, surfactant, and hydrotropes in thecompositions and films of the invention may be about 4 wt. % to about 10wt. %, about 4 wt. % to about 9 wt. %, about 4 wt. % to about 8 wt. %,or any individual concentration or range encompassed by these exampleranges.

In some embodiments, the compositions and films of the invention mayfurther include preservatives to increase the shelf-life of thecomposition or film and discourage the growth of pathogens or othermicroorganisms. Examples of preservatives include, without limitation,benzoates such as sodium benzoate, sorbates such as sodium sorbate,sorbic acid, and the like, essential oils, and sodium propionate. Theconcentration of preservative in the compositions and films of theinvention may be about 0.1 wt. % to about 5 wt. %, about 0.2 wt. % toabout 3 wt. %, about 0.5 wt. % to about 2 wt. %, or any individualconcentration or range encompassed by these example ranges.

The films of various embodiments described above may have a thickness ofabout 0.5 mil and about 8 mil.

Further embodiments are directed to methods for making the compositionsand films described above. For example, the methods of some embodimentsmay include the steps of components of the compositions and films in asolvent such as water or ethanol to form a casting composition, andcasting a film from the casting composition.

In some embodiments, methods may include the step of combining thepolyhydric alcohol and, in certain embodiments, chelating agents,emulsifiers, surfactants, hydrotropes, solubility aids, preservatives,and the like, in a casting base solvent to form a casting base, andseparately combining the biodegradable polymer in a film base solvent toform a film base. Such methods may further include mixing the castingbase and film base to from the casting composition and casting a filmfrom the casting composition. In such embodiments, biodegradable polymermay not dissolve the film base solvent but rather may form a slurry withthe biodegradable polymer. The film base solvent may be the same as thecasting base solvent or the film base solvent may be different than thecasting base solvent. In some embodiments, the biodegradable polymer maynot dissolve in the film base solvent, but the biodegradable polymer maybe soluble in the casting base solvent. This, the biodegradable polymerand the film base solvent may dissolve in the casting base solventduring mixing.

Examples of casting base solvents include ethanol, methanol, propanol,acetone, benzyl alcohol, 1,3-butylene glycol, carbon dioxide, isopropylalcohol, methyl ethyl ketone, 1,2-propylene glycol, ethyl acetate, andthe like and combinations thereof. Examples of film base solventsinclude water, ethanol, carbon dioxide, methanol, ethyl acetate,acetone, and the like and combinations thereof.

In particular embodiments, the methods may include the step of heatingthe casting base before the step of mixing the casting base and the filmbase. In such embodiments, the casting composition may be heated duringmixing until the film base is completely dissolved In the casting base.In some embodiments, the methods may include mixing of the casting baseand the film base under vacuum to avoid the production of bubbles.

Once the components of the film are fully incorporated into the castingcomposition, the casting composition may be cast to form the film.Casting may include the steps of extruding the casting composition ontoa release medium. The release medium may be made of a non-stick materialsuch as, for example, silicon, to facilitate the removal of the casefilm from the release medium. In various embodiments, the release filmcan be smooth or textured to impart different properties to theresulting film. In some embodiments, release medium may be a tray, andin still other embodiments, the release medium may be a slot die.

The methods of embodiments may further include curing the castingcomposition after the casting composition has been extruded onto therelease medium to form the final product. Curing generally includesremoving excess casting solvent from the casting composition to producea solid or semi-solid film. Curing can be achieved through manydifferent approaches. For example, in some embodiments, curing mayinclude the steps of lowering pressure during curing and increasingtemperature of the casting composition. In some embodiments, curing mayinclude contacting the curing casting composition with air to facilitatemass transfer of solvent from the casting composition. In someembodiments, curing may include drying the casting composition at roomtemperature until it has dried sufficiently.

The films of embodiments may be smooth or textured, and in someembodiments, portions of the film may be smooth and another portion ofthe film may be textured. Texturing implies that the film is not smoothand encompasses textures introduced during manufacture eitherintentionally or unintentionally. For example, in some embodiments, thefilms may include a surface with ridges, valleys, or projections. Incertain embodiments, the films may include sufficient projections toproduce a lotus effect providing the hydrophobic barrier to reduce ordelay dissolution when the film is contacted with water. In otherembodiments, the textured surfaces may provide additional surface areaimproving adherence of the film to other film layer.

Methods may further include the steps of removing the film from therelease medium or storing the film on the release medium.

Further embodiments are directed to packages composed of the filmsdescribed above and methods for making such packages. The packages ofvarious embodiments may generally include a pouch or receptacle composedof the films of the invention as described above. In some embodiments,the water pouch or receptacle may include a first sheet and a secondsheet composed of the films of the invention. The first sheet may bejoined to the second sheet to at least partially define a chambercontaining a substrate. In some embodiments, the first sheet and secondsheet may be contiguous on at least one edge of the chamber, therebyproviding a folded edge.

Edges can be joined by various means. For example, in some embodiments,edges can be joined by heat sealing. In other embodiments, the edges canbe joined using an adhesive. Examples of adhesives include, for example,gums, starches, gelatins, Arabic gum, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, andthe like and combinations thereof.

In some embodiments, the first sheet and the second sheet may becomposed of one or more layers of material. For example, in someembodiments, the first and second sheets may be composed of a singlelayer of the films of the invention. In other embodiments, the first andsecond sheets may be composed of two or more layers of the films of theinvention. In such embodiments, each of the first and second layers offilms may be composed of the same film or different films. For example,in some embodiments, each of the first and second sheets may be composedof a outer structural layer and a inner protective layer.

In some embodiments, multilayer sheets can be used to package liquids.In such embodiments, the inner protective layer may be composed of animpermeable material to segregate the liquid from a water soluble film.This inside coating should be sufficiently thin that it is notdetectable when the pod is dissolved, and the outer structural layer maybe sufficiently strong to maintain the integrity of the pod withoutprotection by the inner coating from the packaged liquid. In someembodiments, the inner protective layer may include a hydrophobicmaterial such as, for example, waxes, resins, oils, fatty acids, fats,lacquers, hydrophobic proteins, and the like and combinations thereof.Specific examples, the hydrophobic material may include, withoutlimitation, corn zein, shellac, and beeswax.

In some embodiments, multilayer films can be prepared usingsubstantially the same process as discussed above, with the addition ofthe step of coating at least one surface of the film with a hydrophobicmaterial before curing the film. In other embodiments, multilayer filmscan be prepared using substantially the same process as discussed above,with the addition of the step of coating at least one surface of thefilm with a hydrophobic material after curing the film. Coating can becarried out by various means. For example, coating carried out byspraying, casting the inner layer separately and adhering the layerstogether, or casting the second layer directly on the film.

The length and the edges and size of the pouch or receptacle can varyamong embodiments. For example, edges can each have a length up to about100 mm, about 10 mm to about 100 mm, about 30 mm to about 90 mm, about40 mm to about 80 mm, or any individual length or range encompassed bythese example ranges. The plan view of the of the pouches or receptaclesof the invention can be substantially rectangular, substantially square,substantially circular, elliptical, and the like or any other desiredshape that is practical to manufacture. The overall plan area of thepouches and receptacles of the invention can be up to about 10,000 mm²,about 5000 mm² to about 10,000 mm², about 7500 mm² to about 10,000 mm²or any range or individual area encompassed by these example ranges.Sized and dimensioned as such, the pouches and receptacles of theinvention can fit conveniently within the grasp of an adult human hand.

Certain embodiments include methods for preparing pouches andreceptacles composed of the films of the invention. Such methods mayinclude contacting a first sheet of the films of the invention with asecond sheet of the films of the invention, sealing at least one edge ofthe first and second sheets to form a pouch, filling the pouch, andsealing the remaining edges of the first and second sheets to form apod. In some embodiments, the method may include folding a sheet of afilm of the invention such that, at a surface of the sheet, at least aportion of the sheet contacts at least a portion of an opposing surfaceof the sheet to create a pouch, filling the pouch, and sealing the edgesof the folded sheet to form a pod. Such embodiments may further includesealing at least one edge of the folded sheet before filling the pouch.In some embodiments, the pod may be sealed on all four sides, and insome embodiments, the pod may be sealed on three sides.

Sealing can be carried out by various means. For example, in someembodiments, sealing can be carried out by heating edges of the podsufficiently to cause the edges of the pod to become joined. In otherembodiments, sealing can be carried out by applying an adhesive to theedges and joining the edges to create a seal. Examples of adhesivesinclude, for example, gums, starches, gelatins, Arabic gum, tapiocastarch, xanthan gum, and the like and combinations thereof. In someembodiments, sealing can be carried out by applying a solvent to theedges of a sheet, applying heat and pressure at least the wet portionsof the edges of the sheet causing a seal to form.

In some embodiments, a method of fabricating an edible packaging pod mayinclude forming a first shell portion and a second shell portion using asingle- or multi-layer water soluble packaging film as described above.The water-soluble packaging film may include an edible alginatederivative. In some embodiments, the water-soluble packaging film mayinclude an edible plasticizer and/or an edible preservative. The firstshell portion includes a first protruded segment and a first extension,and the second shell portion includes a second protruded segment and asecond extension. The interior surfaces of the first and secondprotruded segments may have a concave shape forming a packagingcompartment for a food product. The method may also include placing afood product in at least one of the first protruded segment of the firstshell portion and the second protruded segment of the second shellportion. The method may further include applying a sealing means toconnect the first extension of the first shell portion and the secondextension of the second shell portion, such that the food product issealed within a packaging compartment formed by the first protrudedsegment and the second protruded segment. The 3-side sealing method orthe 4-side sealing method as described above may be used to seal thepackaging pod. In an embodiment of the method where a single-layerpackaging film is used, the method may further include coating a firstinterior surface of the first shell portion and a second interiorsurface of the second shell portion with a protective layer (e.g., ahydrophobic layer) that is inert and impermeable to the food product.

The pods of various embodiments can be filled with various compositions.For example, filling the pods may include introducing a pre-measuredserving of the food product into the pouch before sealing. The foodstuffor food product may be any edible foodstuff such as a beverage,nutritional supplement, dessert, powdered food mixture, and the like. Insome embodiments, the foodstuff may include the ingredients forpreparing, for example, milkshakes, ice cream, sauces, gravies, sorbets,smoothies, brownies, cookies, cakes, dessert, smoothies, yogurt, drinkmixes, and the like. Such ingredients may include any of a variety ofsweetening agents, flavorings, acidity regulators, colorings, thickeningagents, texture modifiers, and/or other additives. In some embodiments,the foodstuff may be a powdered nutritional formulation, such as apowdered protein supplement, powdered milk, powdered baby food, orpowdered infant formula.

In some embodiments, the films used in such pods may be textured asdiscussed above. For example, the films may include sufficientprojections to produce a lotus effect providing the hydrophobic barrierto reduce or delay dissolution when the film is contacted with water.Surfaces of films containing such projections may make up an innersurface of the pods, producing a water-resistant barrier reducing oreliminating dissolution of the pod by liquid contents. In certainembodiments, the films used to make a pod may include multiple layers.For example, such films may include a structural layer and a protectivelayer. The protective layer may be inert and impermeable to the contentsof the pod and protects the structural layer from the contents of thepod. In some embodiments, the protective layer may be attached to thestructural layer through an adhesive layer interposed therebetween. Insome embodiments, the structural layer may include textures on thesurface facing the packaging content. Such textures on the structurallayer give rise to a rough surface providing a strong adherence for theprotective layer.

Texturing of both the bulk-film and of the inner coating can furtheroptimize the film. By texturing the outside of the bulk film, thebreaking apart of the packaging can be increased. Additionally and/oralternatively, logos can be imprinted for branding on the outside of thepackaging pod and/or texturing can be used to impart nonstick propertiesto the outside of the packaging. By texturing the inside of the bulkfilm, a rough surface for the inner coating to adhere can be created,making the coupling of layers more robust. For the inner coating,textures have been shown to increase the hydrophobicity of surfaces.Thus, the inner coating can be textured to increase its hydrophobicityand allow for a thinner, less permeable barrier. Highly organizedtextured surfaces are achieved by altering the release film. The desiredtexture will be embedded onto the release film, so after the solution iscast and cured, it can be removed with the appropriate texture on thefilm. More random textures may be applied through abrasion and othermechanical and chemical stressors.

EXAMPLES

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, other versionsare possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claimsshould not be limited to the description and the preferred versionscontained within this specification. Various aspects of the presentinvention will be illustrated with reference to the followingnon-limiting examples.

Example 1

A packaging solution made from sodium alginate was prepared. To make 110square inches of film having a thickness of 0.17 inches, 5 g of sodiumalginate, 300 g water, 43 g 70% ethanol 30% water, and 1.58 g glycerolwere combined. First, the glycerol was mixed with water and heated toapproximately 90° C. Separately, the sodium alginate was combined withthe ethanol solution (as a dispersing solvent) and stirred into aslurry. Once adequately dispersed, the slurry was poured into theglycerol, water solution, stirred, and heated until the solutions werefully combined. This solution was then poured onto a 10 inch by 11-inchsilicon tray and allowed to cure in ambient conditions. Oncesufficiently dry, the film was removed from the tray.

Example 2

A packaging solution made from sodium alginate was prepared. To make 110square inches of film having a thickness of 0.14 inches, 2.5 g of sodiumalginate, 250 g water, 0.6 grams of soy lecithin, 2.5 grams ofmaltodextrin, 2 grams of sodium citrate, and 1.25 g glycerol werecombined. First, all of the ingredients are combined in a high shearmixer. Once adequately mixed, the smooth viscous solution is transferredto a heating apparatus. The solution is heated to boiling to ensure allthe ingredients are properly dissolved. This hot solution was thenpoured onto a 10 inch by 11 inch silicon tray and allowed to cure inambient conditions. Once sufficiently dry, the film was removed from thetray.

Example 3

A packaging solution made from sodium alginate was prepared. Acomposition containing 21.96 wt. % sodium alginate, 4.79 wt. % soylecithin, 19.96 wt. % maltodextrin, 15.97 wt. % sodium citrate, 25.33wt. % glycerin, 5.99 wt. % erythritol, 5.99 wt. % xylitol, and waterwere combined in a high shear mixer. Once adequately mixed, the smoothviscous solution is transferred to a heating apparatus and heated toboiling to ensure all the ingredients are properly dissolved. This hotsolution was then poured onto a silicon tray and allowed to cure inambient conditions. Once sufficiently dry, the film was removed from thetray.

1. A composition comprising a biodegradable polymer and polyhydricalcohol, polyhydric acid, or combinations thereof.
 2. The composition ofclaim 1, wherein the ratio of biodegradable polymer to polyhydricalcohol, polyhydric acid, or combinations thereof is about 0.5:1 toabout 1:10.
 3. The composition of claim 1, comprising about 20 wt. % toabout 50 wt. % biodegradable polymer.
 4. The composition of claim 1,wherein the biodegradable polymer is selected from the group consistingof polylactic acid (polylactide), chitin, chitosan, alginic acid,alginate salts, such as, sodium alginate, calcium alginate, magnesiumalginate, triethanolamine alginate, potassium alginate, strontiumalginate, barium alginate, or ammonium alginate, propylene glycolalginate, lignin, thermoplastic starch, polyethylene, polypropylene,polyethylene glycol, polyglycolide, poly (lactide-co-glycolide),polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, poly (8-caprolactone), polyorthoester,polyanhydride, polylysine, polyethyleneimine, carboxymethylcellulose,acetylated carboxymethylcellulose, gelatin, collagen, pullulan,cold-soluble gelatin, pectin, locust gum derivatives, hydrocolloids,kappa carrageenan, lambda carrageenan, iota carrageenan, andderivatives, combinations, and copolymers thereof.
 5. The composition ofclaim 1, wherein the biodegradable polymer is selected from the groupconsisting of alginate or alginate salt or combinations of alginate andalginate salts.
 6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the biodegradablepolymer is selected from the group consisting of sodium alginate,calcium alginate, magnesium alginate, potassium alginate, orcombinations or mixtures thereof.
 7. The composition of claim 1,comprising about 5 wt. % to about 40 wt. % polyhydric alcohol.
 8. Thecomposition of claim 1, wherein the polyhydric alcohol is selected fromthe group consisting of glycerol, sorbitol, mannitol, galactitol,arabitol, erythritol, xylitol, and combinations or mixtures thereof. 9.The composition of claim 1, wherein the polyhydric alcohol comprises anycombination of glycerol, xylitol, and erythritol.
 10. The composition ofclaim 1, further comprising about 4 wt. % to about 10 wt. % emulsifier,surfactant, or combination thereof.
 11. The composition of claim 10,wherein the emulsifier or surfactant is selected from the groupconsisting of lecithin, sunflower lecithin, soy lecithin,monoglycerides, diglycerides, gums, guar gum, Arabic gum, locust beangum, polysorbates, polysorbate-80, sucrose esters, and combinationsthereof.
 12. The composition of claim 1, further comprising about 5 wt.% to about 20 wt. % chelating agent, builder, or combination thereof.13. The composition of claim 12, wherein the chelating agent and builderis selected from the group consisting of sodium citrate, monosodiumcitrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, sodium triphosphate(STPP), sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium phosphate, disodium phosphate,trisodium phosphate, and combinations thereof.
 14. The composition ofclaim 1, further comprising about 15 wt. % to about 45 wt. % bulkingagent.
 15. The composition of claim 14, wherein the bulking agent isselected from the group consisting of maltodextrin, tapioca starch,potato starch, corn starch, cellulose, pectins, glucans, mucilages,inulin, chitin, and combinations thereof.
 16. The composition of claim1, comprising about 20 wt. % to about 60 wt. % alginate or alginate saltand about 8 wt. % to about 25 wt. % glycerol.
 17. A film comprising abiodegradable polymer and polyhydric alcohol, polyhydric acid, orcombinations thereof.
 18. A device comprising: a film comprising abiodegradable polymer and polyhydric alcohol, polyhydric acid, orcombinations thereof; and a foodstuff sealed within the film.
 19. Thedevice of claim 18, wherein the foodstuff is selected from the groupconsisting of beverages, nutritional supplements, desserts, powderedfood mixtures, and combinations thereof.
 20. The device of claim 18,wherein the foodstuff is selected from the group consisting of powderednutritional formulation, powdered protein supplement, powdered milk,powdered baby food, powdered infant formula, and combinations thereof.